In the long history of beloved books being adapted into films, there have been some successes and a lot of failures, but it’s rare that the book’s author not only adapts the screenplay but takes a shot at the director’s chair, assuming full responsibility for bringing the book to screen. Writer Stephen Chbosky is that rare example with the film adaptation of his beloved young adult novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” something of a touchstone for an entire generation of awkward teenagers, past and present, so if you’re a fan of the book but not of the film, well, they’re at least both products of the same mind.

Having never read the book, I can’t compare them. But I can’t imagine a fan of the book being disappointed in this film, which transcends its often-tired subgenre of twee high school dramedies and becomes something altogether more moving and genuine than I ever could have expected. It’s an honest look at the masks teenagers will wear to disguise insecurities, and at the bonds we make as youths that sustain us through the difficulties of coming of age.

That’s not to say it’s remarkably new or refreshing in its storytelling — the plot points aren’t reinventing the teenage drama wheel, so to speak — but the clarity and sincerity of its details and performances elevate it beyond the same old thing you’ve seen before, even after a shaky opening that belies the quiet intelligence it eventually will possess.

“Perks” follows our titular wallflower, Charlie (Logan Lerman), a quiet, troubled freshman who starts his high school career with no friends, overwhelmed by the enormity of the terror he’ll experience during his four years of high school. He keeps a running count, in fact, of the number of days until his graduation (too many thousands for his tastes). Charlie is coming off a rough few months and previously sought treatment for a nervous condition. But he’s kind and smart and looking to fit in, in whatever way is available to him.

Some companionship is made available to him when he meets Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller), two senior step-siblings who take the youngster under their wings and show him how to find his own path and express himself. Patrick is outspoken, gay and makes light of every situation; Sam loves discovering new music and Charlie is immediately attracted to her. After one evening together, they draw Charlie into their circle of friends, including the dominating punk Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman) and Patrick’s closeted quarterback boyfriend Brad (Johnny Simmons). But Charlie is acutely aware that his friends will be graduating, and quietly pines for Sam from a distance, mostly, as the year goes by.

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is structured episodically — there’s no strong plot to speak of, though Charlie’s troubles are gradually revealed in flashback to an episode with his Aunt Helen (Melanie Lynskey) that grows clearer as the film progresses — but its strengths lie in its details and performances. Chbosky has an ear for goofy teenager dialogue and the way that they act, and his teenaged misfits and weirdos are portrayed lovingly and compassionately, full of identifiable contradictions and weaknesses.

The cast is nearly uniformly strong. The movie simply would not work without Lerman’s phenomenal lead performance, conveying his emotions and hopes and fears in quiet glances. He embodies the role of a young man with a weight on his shoulders, used to watching and reacting rather than living, and keeping his deeper issues at bay with the friendships he makes, though the ticking clock on those friendships is almost always felt.

Miller gives a more boisterous, winning performance leagues away from his creepy turn in last year’s “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” Patrick could stray dangerously close to caricature were it not for the layers built into the character by Miller and the screenplay; he provides some of the funniest moments in the film, though, and one of the strongest subplots, with Simmons’ tragic closeted character.

Shining in supporting roles are Kate Walsh and Dylan McDermott as Charlie’s parents and Paul Rudd as an English teacher Charlie grows close to. Joan Cusack pops up near the end, and geeks will notice a small role for Tom Savini as a shop teacher.

I have some issues with Watson’s performance, though I don’t think you can take away from this movie that she’s a weak performer or hasn’t grown out of her “Harry Potter” role. She shines in some quiet moments, particularly late in the film. But she does still employ some of the same mannered actorly tics as in the “Harry Potter” films, and, just as in those, it feels more inauthentic compared to some of her costars. But she’s never overly distracting.

I’m filled with nothing but good feelings about “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” mainly because I didn’t expect it to be very good, and it’s always a pleasure when one’s expectations are shattered like this. It’s quite possibly one of the best high school stories told in film in years, but it’s certainly the most real.

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In the long history of beloved books being adapted into films, there have been some successes and a lot of failures, but it’s rare that the book’s author not only adapts the screenplay but takes a shot at the director’s chair, assuming full responsibility for bringing the book to screen. Writer Stephen Chbosky is that rare example with the film adaptation of his beloved young adult novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” something of a touchstone for an entire generation of awkward teenagers, past and present, so if you’re a fan of the book but not of the film, well, they’re at least both products of the same mind.

Having never read the book, I can’t compare them. But I can’t imagine a fan of the book being disappointed in this film, which transcends its often-tired subgenre of twee high school dramedies and becomes something altogether more moving and genuine than I ever could have expected. It’s an honest look at the masks teenagers will wear to disguise insecurities, and at the bonds we make as youths that sustain us through the difficulties of coming of age.

That’s not to say it’s remarkably new or refreshing in its storytelling — the plot points aren’t reinventing the teenage drama wheel, so to speak — but the clarity and sincerity of its details and performances elevate it beyond the same old thing you’ve seen before, even after a shaky opening that belies the quiet intelligence it eventually will possess.

“Perks” follows our titular wallflower, Charlie (Logan Lerman), a quiet, troubled freshman who starts his high school career with no friends, overwhelmed by the enormity of the terror he’ll experience during his four years of high school. He keeps a running count, in fact, of the number of days until his graduation (too many thousands for his tastes). Charlie is coming off a rough few months and previously sought treatment for a nervous condition. But he’s kind and smart and looking to fit in, in whatever way is available to him.

Some companionship is made available to him when he meets Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller), two senior step-siblings who take the youngster under their wings and show him how to find his own path and express himself. Patrick is outspoken, gay and makes light of every situation; Sam loves discovering new music and Charlie is immediately attracted to her. After one evening together, they draw Charlie into their circle of friends, including the dominating punk Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman) and Patrick’s closeted quarterback boyfriend Brad (Johnny Simmons). But Charlie is acutely aware that his friends will be graduating, and quietly pines for Sam from a distance, mostly, as the year goes by.

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is structured episodically — there’s no strong plot to speak of, though Charlie’s troubles are gradually revealed in flashback to an episode with his Aunt Helen (Melanie Lynskey) that grows clearer as the film progresses — but its strengths lie in its details and performances. Chbosky has an ear for goofy teenager dialogue and the way that they act, and his teenaged misfits and weirdos are portrayed lovingly and compassionately, full of identifiable contradictions and weaknesses.

The cast is nearly uniformly strong. The movie simply would not work without Lerman’s phenomenal lead performance, conveying his emotions and hopes and fears in quiet glances. He embodies the role of a young man with a weight on his shoulders, used to watching and reacting rather than living, and keeping his deeper issues at bay with the friendships he makes, though the ticking clock on those friendships is almost always felt.

Miller gives a more boisterous, winning performance leagues away from his creepy turn in last year’s “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” Patrick could stray dangerously close to caricature were it not for the layers built into the character by Miller and the screenplay; he provides some of the funniest moments in the film, though, and one of the strongest subplots, with Simmons’ tragic closeted character.

Shining in supporting roles are Kate Walsh and Dylan McDermott as Charlie’s parents and Paul Rudd as an English teacher Charlie grows close to. Joan Cusack pops up near the end, and geeks will notice a small role for Tom Savini as a shop teacher.

I have some issues with Watson’s performance, though I don’t think you can take away from this movie that she’s a weak performer or hasn’t grown out of her “Harry Potter” role. She shines in some quiet moments, particularly late in the film. But she does still employ some of the same mannered actorly tics as in the “Harry Potter” films, and, just as in those, it feels more inauthentic compared to some of her costars. But she’s never overly distracting.

I’m filled with nothing but good feelings about “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” mainly because I didn’t expect it to be very good, and it’s always a pleasure when one’s expectations are shattered like this. It’s quite possibly one of the best high school stories told in film in years, but it’s certainly the most real.